


Practice makes perfect

by robin_orpheus



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Field Trip, Fluff, Ice Skating, Post-Season/Series 03, Protective Will Byers, Siblings Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28899471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_orpheus/pseuds/robin_orpheus
Summary: When she’d first heard of “ice skating”, her immediate thoughts had gone to a skateboard like the one Max owned (and had been teaching her before El moved away from Hawkins) on ice. But this was nothing like she’d imagined it to be.A one-shot of El and Will going on a school field trip to the local ice skating rink, mostly fluff ensue.
Relationships: Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Practice makes perfect

**Author's Note:**

> hi. i haven't like written anything in a long, long while. this is quite short but ive got some longer upcoming one-shots, maybe even something multi-chaptered. my motivation is unpredictable like that. alas, i am very very very very excited for season 4 and cannot stress how thrilled i am to see will and el's sibling relationship! hope you enjoy this small (and probably shitty but cute) one-shot. i love you and hope you take care in these still isolating times.

El was sitting on the bench watching the people skating in the ice rink. She shivered. It was cold, very very cold. 

Everyone looked so carefree and not scared at all. They were on an ice skating field trip. When she’d first heard of “ice skating”, her immediate thoughts had gone to a skateboard like the one Max owned (and had been teaching her before El moved away from Hawkins) on ice. But this was nothing like she’d imagined it to be. 

Will had told her how he’d ice skated a few times when he was younger when his dad, Mr Byers (who Will or Jonathan didn’t seem like, El could understand, Papa hadn’t been a nice man either) had thought it be a good idea to sign up the kid for hockey because it’d make him “more of a man”, or something along those lines. Which El didn’t understand. She’d seen hockey a few times on the television, how did shuffling a small circular disk, wearing a helmet and scoring make you a man? Will had been reluctant to speak about the experience. 

And here she was, staring at the faces of her peers. “Are you coming?” Will asked from the other side of the glass. 

El smiled and nodded. Some of her classmates were shooting glances, most of them curious considering she was the only one not skating. 

Standing up, she felt like she was about to topple over. 

You can do this. Do it for Hop. 

El entered the rink and her legs felt wobbly wearing the skates. The edges were rough and sharp. 

How on Earth was she supposed to move with these? Wouldn’t it be better if the underside was just flat? 

“You’re doing great.” Will gave her a shy smile and took her hand. 

“This is hard.” El grumbled. 

“Practice makes perfect.” 

El had yet to hear that saying, and felt more confident and inspired at the new words of wisdom. 

“Practice makes perfect.” She nodded and with the assistance of Will, they slowly but surely gained speed. 

Will showed her how to move the skates, to move them like you were pushing with force one foot at a time. At first it was difficult to get the hang of. Inside she felt the desire and urge to flee to the edge of the rink and hold on tight and never let go. But Will dragged her along to the center, careful to avoid others. 

Eventually, after twenty minutes, she finally felt courageous enough to get by on her own. Will let go. His words echoed in her head. 

Practice makes perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm too lazy to edit or rewrite most of this, mostly because i'm genuinely satisfied with what i've got so i don't feel the need to polish it a lot. and because i'm about to take a hot and relaxing bath and am too impatient to return to this afterward and i'm just really excited with sharing it. i just felt the need to form these words into a cute story and gather my thoughts. hope you enjoy nonetheless! usually i'd recommend polishing first drafts because so many of my old stories are just bleh the first time i write them and get better when i've fixed them up a couple of times until i'm satisfied. stay safe and stay connected at a distance (isolation can take a toll on your mental health). 
> 
> see ya :) i really want to do a multi-chaptered stranger things fanfic in the future, not sure what yet though (all i can think of is a prediction of season 4, but way way worse than what the Duffer Brothers or any talented fanfic writer have conjured up. 
> 
> right now i'm reading a season 4 fanfic "Empty Spaces" by ChessPieceFace and they're so talented and it's literally one of the best fanfics i've read. link to it because i really recommend it: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667591/chapters/59607844
> 
> pls share some good stranger things fanfics if you have any, i am desperate for them


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